Allen's Swamp Monkey

Allen's Swamp Monkey

Geographical Range

West central Africa

Habitat

Swamps, riverine forests near drier, more open areas, including croplands

Scientific Name

Allenopithecus nigroviridis

Conservation Status

Near threatened

These stout-bodied monkeys make their home in the swamp forests of west central Africa. They spend time both in the treetops and on the ground, foraging on fruits, insects and leaves. Like most other guenon monkeys, they are quite intelligent and curious, and are often seen manipulating objects.

As their name implies, swamp monkeys live near water and are good swimmers. Their webbed toes help them paddle through water. They have been known to dive into the water to escape predators.

Although swamp monkeys aren’t well studied in the wild, it is known that they live in social groups of about 40 animals. They have a wide vocal range. They use a high-pitched long call, most likely when they are greeting or locating other troop members. Their alarm call is a chirp, and most often used when predators approach. Common predators of swamp monkeys include the crowned hawk eagle, various large snakes, and pygmy chimpanzees.

Like many African monkeys, these animals are also killed for bushmeat, often by hunters operating from boats. The meat is either consumed by the hunters themselves who need the protein to survive, or increasingly the monkeys’ carcasses are being shipped to cities, where they’re bought as “gourmet” food.

Conservation groups are working to solve the bushmeat crisis. To learn more about what’s being done to help gorillas and other bushmeat victims, learn about the work of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force .